World News Update: Hamas Steps Back From Gaza Governance as Iran Buries Khamenei Amid Calls for "Revenge"

 

The Pakistan Times Live | Islamabad Times — Islamabad, July 6, 2026

The Middle East is witnessing two seismic developments this week that could reshape the region's political landscape for years to come. Hamas has formally announced it is giving up civil control of the Gaza Strip after nearly two decades, while Iran has been holding six days of state funeral processions for its slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, amid thunderous chants of revenge against the United States and Israel. The Pakistan Times Live brings readers a detailed account of both stories and what they mean for the wider region.

Hamas Dissolves Its Gaza Administration

In a move described by analysts as one of the most significant political shifts in Gaza since 2007, Hamas has announced the dissolution of its civil administrative committee, which has governed the coastal enclave since the group ousted Fatah nearly twenty years ago. A Hamas spokesperson said the decision was taken so that Israel would have no further pretext to continue military aggression, adding that the movement is ready to hand over administrative affairs to a National Committee.

This National Committee for the Administration of Gaza was established under the "Board of Peace," a body set up after the US-brokered ceasefire reached between Hamas and Israel in October last year. The committee is headed by Palestinian figure Ali Shaath and is intended to eventually operate as a technocratic authority overseeing civilian affairs in Gaza until a permanent Palestinian administrative structure can be formed.

Hamas has, however, been careful to draw a clear line between giving up civil governance and disarming. Officials within the group say that handing over administrative powers does not mean an agreement to fully lay down arms; the question of weapons and the military wing, they insist, remains a separate matter tied to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which also covers a phased Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.

Progress on that second phase has stalled for months. According to reports, rather than reducing its footprint, the Israeli military has expanded its presence in Gaza in recent months and now controls close to 70 percent of the territory. Hamas maintains that any further steps, including those tied to disarmament, are contingent on the establishment of an effective Palestinian administration and on the eventual creation of a permanent Palestinian state — conditions Israel has so far resisted.

If it moves forward as planned, the transition would mark the end of nearly two decades of direct Hamas rule in Gaza, though its ultimate success will depend heavily on how the new administrative structure is built, how Israel responds, and whether the broader ceasefire framework holds.

Khamenei's Funeral: A Nation in Mourning and Fury

Thousands of miles away, Iran has been consumed by a different kind of upheaval. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic as its Supreme Leader for over three decades, was killed on February 28, 2026, in a joint American-Israeli strike that also killed his daughter Boshra Hosseini Khamenei, his daughter-in-law Zahra Haddad Adel, his son-in-law Mesbah al-Hoda Bagheri, and his young granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi.

Iran's government declared seven days of national mourning and opened the doors of roughly five thousand schools to accommodate the millions of mourners traveling from across the country. Funeral prayers were held in three stages at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla religious complex, led by senior cleric Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, given the enormous size of the crowd. State media described the gathering as one of the largest public assemblies in the country's modern history.

Only three of Khamenei's sons — Meitham, Masoud, and Mostafa — were present in the front row during the prayers. As the ceremony concluded, organizers led the crowd in chants of "revenge, revenge" for the blood of Khamenei and his family, which was met with a thunderous response of "Death to America" from the assembled mourners. Many in the crowd carried red flags, a symbol in Iran commonly associated with the demand for retribution and unavenged blood.

Following the funeral prayers, the procession carrying Khamenei's body and those of his family members began moving through Tehran's landmark squares, including Revolution Square and Vali-e-Asr Square, before heading toward the city of Qom. From there, the funeral convoy is scheduled to cross into neighboring Iraq, arriving in the holy city of Najaf on the evening of July 7, with further processions expected in Najaf and Karbala on July 8. The final burial is set to take place on July 9 at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, an event Iranian officials expect could draw up to twenty million people, making it potentially one of the largest funeral gatherings in recent history.

Iran's President has meanwhile pledged to carry forward what officials are calling the "martyred leader's mission" with full force, signaling that the killing is likely to have lasting consequences for Iran's posture toward both Washington and Tel Aviv in the months ahead.

A Region on Edge

Taken together, these two developments underline just how volatile the broader Middle East remains. In Gaza, a fragile ceasefire is being tested by a major internal political transition even as core disputes over disarmament and troop withdrawal remain unresolved. In Iran, the killing of the country's top leader has left a population enraged and a government publicly vowing retaliation, raising serious questions about what comes next in an already tense standoff with the US and Israel.

The Pakistan Times Live will continue to track both stories as they develop, given their significant implications for regional stability and for the wider Muslim world. Readers can stay connected with The Pakistan Times Live for continuing coverage of this fast-moving situation.

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